Then There Were Four
by RandomImagination
Summary: Four different people with the same goal, though their own motivations and methods. "United we stand, divided we fall," as they say.


Stupid plunnies. This happened to hit me at quater till midnight and demanded to be written before I forgot it or went to bed. And it's a school night.

Read and review please.

Disclaimer: If I really owned Detective Conan and Magic Kaito, I wouldn't have to worry about getting up for school tomorrow.

* * *

At first, there were two. They started at different times, but it was around the same time. They were both a lot alike, and very different. And they'd both been preparing for it their whole lives.

They had different motivations of course, one to regain his life, the other to avenge the dead. And of course to stop _them _and bring _them_ to justice. Neither was self-centered enough to be oblivious to the suffering that others had endured at _their_ hands.

But in the end, they both really wanted the same thing, no matter their reasons or motivation. Their situations were as different as day and night though, as were their methods. They both wanted justice though, no matter how they went about it, even if they needed to fight each other and their enemies because they were on opposite sides about some things. But definitely not about _them_. Both realized that _they_ needed to be brought down.

And then those two had friends. One might've come in sooner than the other, but that didn't matter, because none of the four had met yet, certainly not as they were now.

Both acquaintances began investigating, because something just didn't seem right about the other two. At this point, all they really were was acquaintances, but that changed soon enough.

So those two pried. And they ended up doing what they prided themselves on. They both found things out.

Then they were rivals, one on one respectively. They both respected the other to varying extent, but that didn't mean they wouldn't try and beat their rival, or at least annoy the hell out of them. Even the two more reserved of the four had to admit the competition was challenging and fun. Hough it didn't always happen at the right times.

Over time, they got to know each other better, and saved each other's butts occasionally. Among other things, so one pair decided to settle on "friends and partners who are slightly rivals at times", while the other simply went for "friendly rivals".

And by this point, one of the two had long since got involved with _them _too, trying to help his friend. The first one was . . . in a unique situation, and he was the only other boy their age who knew. They both accepted that he was in, and they helped each other out. This brought on more ass saving, only this time they were helping each other against _them_.

The two pairs were sort or alike in mannerisms, one Holmes-obsessed who could play the violin and was more reserved, focusing on their work and taking things seriously, sometimes too often. The other two were more impulsive and mischievous, the ones who did most of the teasing. Those two had never met, the other two already had.

Things went on like this for over half a year. The fourth person got involved with _them _too, by association and the habit of wanting to understand everything that came with those in his career. Also, his sense of justice and etiquette demanded that common courtesy go both ways, and if one person was willing to keep people from being seriously injured (externally, that is, he seemed to think egos were fair claim), then no one should be trying to kill them. Especially that much.

So they'd found out. No matter what the situation, they each knew their respective friend's secrets relevant to the fight against _them, _whether they had confirmation or not. But that confirmation eventually came in order to prevent disaster, and it didn't really change much. They were going to let their rivalries play out as always, for if they didn't, they'd not only lose the fun and challenge, but a friend and a rival.

Then the first two got acquainted. From curiosity came prying, which led them to sufficient knowledge to prove that they were indeed both after _them. _Not that they said anything for awhile, their friends figured out what was up on their own first, before that developed at all.

It was the idea of the less impulsive members of both pairs, really, that they should see if anything could be worked out. So eventually they all met on neutral territory with all standings set aside for the moment, and they talked as equals. Secrets were revealed, after promises had been made that the knowledge would never leave that group.

And they found out they were all going against _them, _whether for their own reasons or to help their rival, they had a common adversary, and all wanted to see _them_ stopped and brought to justice. As soon as possible, before anyone else could get hurt.

So they forged an alliance, though unstable and delicate at first, because most of them were used to being opponents on the other side of the law, and some of them just had personalities that clashed. Slowly, they got to know each other better, and now they were all going up against _them_ together. That was what counted.

So over time, one and one had turned into two and one, and two and one became two and two. And then there were four, all working together. As they say, "United we stand, divided we fall."

Kudo Shinichi, Kuroba Kaito, Hattori Heiji, and Hakuba Saguru.

The detective of the East trapped in the body of a seven year old at _their_ hands, the second master magician thief Kaitou Kid, the Western meitantei, and the world's expert on Kaitou Kid.

Three detective and a thief, all aged seventeen, all working together against the same enemy, all four of them.


End file.
